


5. Borrowed Time (One Last Passing Glance).

by Corbeau7



Series: You’re the Reason (Better Since You Came Along). [5]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 04:21:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corbeau7/pseuds/Corbeau7
Summary: Thoughts on where Charity and Vanessa's heads were after Vanessa called the cops to report Bails.





	5. Borrowed Time (One Last Passing Glance).

Borrowed Time (One Last Passing Glance).

Vanessa: “Charity. Please don’t do something you’ll regret.”  
Charity: “I already have. Standing right in front of me.”  
April 11, 2018

*****

Charity had told her about Bails. That he raped her. When she was but a child. Told her to leave her, not bother with her anymore. That the shortcut was open. Vanessa’s heart broke when Charity said that “everybody does in the end”, like it was simply expected that she would be let down.

Vanessa wasn’t going to let her down by leaving her to deal with all this on her own. No. She wasn’t doing that. After everything Vanessa had heard, what kind of person would she be if she left Charity to face these newly-opened wounds to fester alone?

Vanessa was starting to really understand just how much Charity had been let down pretty much all her life. What a life she had lived, and continued to live. A lot of people would have not succeeded the way Charity had done. Beautiful children. Grandchildren. The pub. 

It also made sense; the hard-shell Charity had, and how she hit at people before they got to her. The walls that were so strong and almost impenetrable. They weren’t just going to go away with a little chat and cry.

Vanessa had meant every single word. Charity was amazing. She was strong. How could she be anything but? Even when she cried in Vanessa’s arms, she was still strong. So remarkable. Charity wasn’t going to accept it, but she wasn’t going to stop telling her girlfriend how amazing she was. Is.

Then she had ruined it. In her eagerness to help, to get some form of justice, she had rung the police. She needed to show Charity that she could get Bails. That she deserved to get her justice. Vanessa knew she shouldn’t have, the very moment she hung up the phone. She had no idea how she thought that she could fix this, and that Charity would be pleased. 

Now she sat, in tears. Charity’s words ringing in her ears. That she had never trusted anyone with the news of Bails before. What had Vanessa done? She’d broken the trust she had put in her. Right away. What was she thinking? Well she knew. She knew she was trying to help. She knew she had used her anger and concern for her sister to cloud her judgement.

And now she was adrift.

She didn’t blame Charity’s anger at all. The threat to drag her through the bar by her hair. The tone she used, it had scared her. Not because of the threat of violence, but because Charity sounded broken. And now she couldn’t help her. God knows her own family wasn’t going to help her.

She had begged for guidance on how to make it better, but her now ex-girlfriend was too angry to even give her the smallest of crumbs. She deserved it too. But did she deserve to hear from Megan about this mystery man that she had taken to bed?

*****

Charity used sex as her weapon. She used it to prevent it being used against her. So when she dropped Vanessa, the one she had begun to hope was different, and met with the stranger in the bar, she knew exactly what she was doing.

Making Vanessa cry – again – hurt her in a way that she didn’t really want to ponder on. She had heard Vanessa’s cries as she went upstairs. She had wanted to turn around and take Vanessa in her arms. But she didn’t. She wouldn’t. 

Now she had Noah to worry about too. 

She had told Vanessa she wasn’t someone she could save. Truth of it was she didn’t deserve it. She was still that prossie, worth nothing more than what someone paid. Why did she think she was anything better? Oh yeah, cause Vanessa had given the hope that she could be better. She had foolishly trusted Vanessa.

As she said, she wouldn’t be making that mistake again. No, Vanessa was dead to her, and she would relish the opportunities to twist the knife in at every chance.

Yet, she was trying to count down to the moment that she would feel that remedy of completion. She and Vanessa were never meant to be serious, but why did she feel like she wanted to go to her?

Vanessa had messed with her head. All sunshine and bossiness. All support and care. This wasn’t her life; being with someone like that. 

Megan had told her that Vanessa was crying on Tracy’s shoulder. Her first thought was to be sorry that she had made the beautiful vet so sad. Then she reverted to her anger, because it wasn’t her fault that Vanessa was sad. This time, she couldn’t be held to blame. Not entirely, anyway. Her look of worry was not for Vanessa’s feelings. It was the cold fear that sat in her chest. Was Vanessa spilling her secrets?

First problem; sort things with Noah. Then her shift. Vanessa and her gobby mouth was not her concern right now.

*****

Vanessa knew her family was trying to help. But, how could they? This whole town had their minds made up about Charity. No good changing them one mind at a time and all that. No. She had messed up. Not Charity. Would be easier on her for everyone to hate Charity on her behalf. That would detract from the truth, though. She had done this. So, she cried. A lot. She cried because she liked Charity and wanted to be with her. She cried because she was so heartbroken over betraying her trust. Good intentions meant nowt, she had not even stopped to think about it, she had acted. Her impulsiveness was the enemy.

She could go on and on about how she did this for Charity. To protect Tracy. She could say that, and it would be the truth, but really? Really? Vanessa wanted to stand up for Charity to prove she was worth it. She had come to understand that Charity’s ideas on her worth were pretty low. She took the blame for everything in her life. She felt as though it was what she deserved. But Vanessa knew the Charity who had opened up, had shared her story. The Charity who was often so confused about how she should act that she went on the attack to protect herself. She knew the Charity who made her laugh. Made her heart flutter. Made her feel all kinds of magic when naked, pressed up against one another. Her kisses, her touches, her whispered words. Charity Dingle was one of a kind, and instead of protecting that, she had royally fucked up.

But her heart broke when Charity picked up some random. A man she didn’t even care to ask his name. She did it in public because she knew it’d get back to her, and that was what hurt the most. Charity had shut her off and was being cold and calculating because it was what was expected. Vanessa knew in the long run, that would eat away at Charity. Like everything. Even if she denied it did.

She would begin to form a plan of attacking the days ahead later. First, she needed to wrap herself into a ball and cry.

*****

Vanessa was glad for her sister. Honestly. Her dad too in a lesser manner. He was trying, she’d give him that. But it wasn’t enough. None of it was enough. She had to hear how bad Charity was, how she manipulated people for sport, how it was bound to end this way. What she wished to convey was that Charity was the injured party. That is was her that messed things up while trying to help. Talk about crazy and confusing. She had already broken Charity’s confidence once, she wasn’t about to do it again. 

She had a sneaking suspicion that Charity would expect it though. Use the information against her. She knew this because she knew that would be Charity’s way to get over things. 

A right spanner was thrown in the works when Megan told her that Charity had done nothing with the mystery guy. It was like a light bulb went off. Vanessa studently felt a hint of hope rise inside. If Charity had said that, it was to hurt her, but she still must have feelings for her. She must.

This hope led her to The Woolpack with her sister and dad in tow. Frankly, she could have done without their back-up, fearful it would look like Charity was being ganged up on, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer.

She said her peace. It was all true. She had messed up, she had disregarded Charity’s feelings for what she had thought was the greater good. She knew she couldn’t do that again and was honest in her assessment on just how amazing and wonderful she was. She couldn’t help but smile when Charity’s walls seemed to fall, letting her back in with her teasing about her bossiness. She knew this was the moment that she repaired the hurt. A little flirting, an order to kiss her, and Charity’s lips on her once more. It was perfect. It seemed to heal them both and reaffirm things in the glaring eyes of the public no less! It only solidified the forgiveness.

Charity pulled away from her, caressing Vanessa’s cheek. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, “Please don’t do that again, Ness.”

Vanessa nodded, accepting the unsaid ultimatum and promising with a gentle kiss that she wouldn’t do it again.

“Wanna?” Charity’s cheekiness appeared, though Vanessa knew she was still hurt. 

“Finish your shift,” Vanessa suggested. “I need to spend a bit of time with Trace. I’ll come over later?”

“Later.” Charity nodded, pulling herself together. 

“I can stay for a pint though, if you’re up for serving?” Vanessa wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Babe?” Charity noticed the drops falling from her girlfriend’s eyes, pulling her away from the nosey parkers for a moment.

“I’m alright. Happy tears. For the most part.”

“I shouldn’t have said I was sleeping with the guy. It was unnecessarily mean.”

“Sshhh, Charity. You don’t need to apologise to me. I need to say sorry to you. And I am. So, so very sorry.”

Charity pulled her in for a kiss.

“I want to take you upstairs and show you just how much I need only you,” Charity whispered, almost growling out the possessive streak that she struggled to contain.

Vanessa shivered at the tone, knowing it was Charity’s way of reaffirming her commitment. She liked it. A lot.

“I’ll be over there with my family, but in a few hours, I’ll be naked. And you can do with me what you want. What you need.” Vanessa cupped Charity’s breast and kissed her hard. She loved their urgent kisses, they were always sloppy, but Charity never failed to moan into them.

“Oh, I’ll want and need you all night, babe,” Charity joked, though Vanessa saw the truth behind the words.

“You will have it.” Vanessa promised.

Charity pulled away, smiling her first genuine smile in days. This woman made her feel quite tingly, and she hated losing it. Now that they had reconnected, Charity felt her pull grow stronger. 

“Babe?” Charity reached out once more. She loved that Vanessa seemed to know what she wanted and wrapped her arms around the pub owner.

“I’ll just be out there,” Vanessa promised. 

“Alright,” Charity nodded, kissing Vanessa once more.

“Alright,” Vanessa repeated, smiling at her beautiful girlfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you.


End file.
